Courtsey

      I want to talk about one of the texts we have worked during the year, this is “Courtesy: key to a happier world” by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. This text called my attention because it is about how good manners can make our lives better. I completely agree with that premise. I think that most of our daily problems can be solved just with courtesy.

      Dr. Peale lists the three components of courtesy and gives three tips to improve one’s manners. Justice, Empathy, and the Capacity to treat all people alike, are the three components of courtesy. And the ways to improve one’s manners are by practicing courtesy ( concentrating in your performance and not letting other’s bad manners make you rude), thinking in a courteous way, and being able to accept courtesy.

      Justice is one of the components which is very important and the one that is less used. We tend to consider that what is good for us is good for everyone. It is one of the most selfish attitudes we have as citizens. For example, if we like to listen to loud music all day long, why we think that the neighbourhood enjoys the same. I think we have to start using this principle of justice.

Empathy is about considering other people’s feelings which is also important, but generally we are not worried about that. And the last component is the capacity to treat all people alike, which is one of most difficult  things to do because we consider that there are people who do not deserve our best manners. Anyway, we could try to put this into practice and see what happens.

      Peale tells us about ways to improve our manners, which are practicing courtesy, thinking in a courteous way and being able to accept courtesy. All of them are difficult to use because how we are going to treat in a good way to a person that is being rude with us. But perhaps in this point is the key, I mean, to be strong and not letting that others’ bad manners ruin our days. Thinking in a courteous way is also complicated, to be considerate of others is not an easy issue but it is not impossible. And the last advise is about being able to accept courtesy, which could be the easiest one.

      To conclude courtesy makes our lives happier because If we are trated in a good way, that makes us happy. And if we are treated in a bad way but we answer in a courteous way, we feel that we are doing what is correct, and we feel happy and satified with ourselves. That’s whay I think that courtesy can make our world better.

Hanna

HIM

Lily Allen is a British pop singer, musician, songwriter and also a fashion designer. She has a very short discography but it is full of hits and awards. “Alright, Still” is the name of her first album, released in July 2006. Allen has said she cringes now when listening to tracks from “Alright, Still”, as it reminds her that she was a "sort of over-excitable teenager who desperately wanted attention" when she wrote it.

Her first single “Smile” reached the top position in UK Singles Chart.

Then, in 2009 “It’s Not Me, It’s You” was released and debuted at the number one position in UK, Canada and Australia. From this album, I would like to highlight the song “Him”. In this song, Allen reflects about society and criticizes it. However, what she basically does during the song is to question religion and things that people do in the name of God. “It’s Not Me, It’s You” took Allen to a different direction as she wanted to write about things which were relevant to her, but also universal. That explains why, in her last work, we can find references to racism, ageism, drug dependency, premature ejaculation, etc.

As I mentioned before, she has a short discography but her sense of humour, personality, musical style and mainly her histrionics, make her one of my favourite artist.

Erin

“The forgoten killer”

Salt is necessary in our bodies. We need it as well as we like it. Moreover, it is one of the most important flavours in food. But salt is not as good as we may think. I saw a report on the TV and then I looked for some information because I think it is an interesting topic to take into account. What I found was that there exist many problems which are caused by excessive salt intake. Consuming too much salt may cause high blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, heart failure, and heart attack. It can also lead to osteoporosis and asthma, as well as it has been linked to stomach cancer.

It is recommended to consume no more than 6g a day. But obviously we consume more than that each day because salt is present in all the products we generally eat. As regad  this topic in our country there has been an agreement, between the goverment and the food industry, to carry out a plan to reduce salt in processed products such as bread, milk products, meat products, soaps, etc.

Considering the the danger of overconsuming salt, it is very important to be aware and to care our health of what is called the “forgotten killer”.

Hanna

Sherlock Holmes

Hello, I would like to share with you a film that I have just recently seen and I really enjoy it. The film is Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie and the actors are: Jude Law, Rachel Mc Adams and Robert Dawney. When sherlock and Dr Watson think they have resolved another case, Blackwood, who is supposed to be dead, reappears and even stronger because of the black arts that he performs. With the assistance of his friend Dr Watson and his ex lover Irene, Sherlock must stop Blacwood before he takes control of the government and consequently, dominates the world.

 Emma

Different opinions

   Last week I read an article that deals with the issue of the Islamic veil across Europe. In many countries in Europe, there is a lot of debate about this issue, which takes in religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions, and fears of terrorism. Thus, the article presents both sides arguments, that is, those countries that are in favor of a full ban, and those who are against this violation of civil rights.

  On the one hand, there are some countries, such as, France, Belgium, that are pushing head with plans to introduced a law-banning women from wearing full-face Islamic veils in all public places. Supporters claim that veils oppressed women and are a potential security threat. It is also said that clothes designed to hide a person identity must become illegal.

   On the other hand, there are some countries, such as Britain, Germany, and Netherlands, that do not have plans for a national ban yet. Consider, for instance, the case of Germany, where the federal constitutional court ruled in favour of a teacher who wanted to wear an Islamic scarf to school. These opponents state that they have abandoned plans to impose a ban on all forms of coverings the face because a law like this, would be a violation of the civil rights. Besides, they also claim that they cannot tell people what to wear in streets because it is not fair.

  In sum, owing to the fact that nowadays many countries are experiencing violent acts, which are intended to create fear and are perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, the Islamic veil has become a controversial issue across Europe. In my view, the number of countries in favor of a full ban is highly increasing, so it is advisable for teachers to be knowledgeable about this issue in order to promote the appreciation and acceptance of multiple cultures in their classroom practices.

       Abby